CHAPTER 8.5 THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE BYZANTINE EMPIRE VS EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE
•Eastern Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire are the same thing •Historians use two different names to differentiate between two distinct periods •Historians refer to the Eastern Roman Empire as the Eastern Roman Empire for the years ~284 CE – 699 CE. •Historians refer to the Eastern Roman Empire as the Byzantine Empire for the years ~700 CE – 1453 CE. •Inhabitants of the Eastern Roman Empire/Byzantine Empire referred to themselves as “Romans” regardless of what historians call them BYZANTINE EMPIRE
•Although Western Rome collapsed, emperors in the east still saw themselves rulers for all of Rome •Justinian becomes emperor of Eastern Rome/Byzantine Empire •Justinian conquers all of old Rome •Conquest undone shortly after death
BYZANTINE EMPIRE
•The “Body of Civil Law” or Justinian Code decided legal questions that regulated whole areas of life •Justinian Code is the basis for Byzantine Empire and Europe’s legal systems for ~1,000 years •Separation from West gave Byzantine Empire its own character •Latin declines; Greek becomes primary language •Christian religion LIFE IN CONSTANTINOPLE •Justinian launches ambitious public building program •Hundreds of churches, immense palace, roads, bridges, walls, schools •Believes churches are the most visible sign of connection between the church and state •Builds Hippodrome •Horse and chariot race track; Bloody riots common •Exotic commodities highly valued
MACEDONIAN EMPERORS
•Macedonian Dynasty: Byzantine dynasty lasting from 867 to 1081 CE that expanded the Byzantine Empire’s borders •Byzantine Empire grew extremely wealthy, powerful, and extravagant under Macedonians •Smaller but stronger than Justinian’s rule •Declined due to internal disorder and religious complications THE CHURCH DIVIDES
•Excommunicate: To take away the right of church membership •Great Schism: Formal separation between Eastern and Western Christianity •West becomes Roman Catholic; East becomes Eastern Orthodox, or Greek Orthodox THE CHURCH DIVIDES •Eastern Christianity has patriarch; Western Christianity has pope •Centuries of disputes between Eastern and Western Christianity •The use of religious images known as icons •The role of the pope and emperor •Leavened vs unleavened bread •East refuses to accept pope’s claim of leadership; patriarch excommunicates pope •Pope then excommunicates the patriarch Leavened
Unleavened